Andrew , you wrote " The fact that some of the bags contained
fossils did not impress them at first, but after I pointed out the geologic
hammer, the coffee mug emblazoned "Geological Society of Alabama, 25th
Anniversary", and my identification card as an employee of the Geological
Survey of Alabama, they let me go without further delay."
 
many drug dealers carry the exact same items and say they're geologists, I
must say though , you are a brave man , if someone follows me that close I
usually step on the gas and get the heck out of there, after all , we live
near Miami, you know the place with  " Lots of .38 specials and some .357
magnums." shells.
 
SHELL RELATED PART: GMSC annual trip to Peanut Isl.. , yours truly found a 6
1/4 inch long terebra taurinum (Lightfoot 1786)  ,,,long dead but nice to
find ,
Mark James & Peta Susan Bethke
3001 South Ocean Dr. Suite 4-V
Hollywood, Florida
33019-2804
U.S.A.
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew K. Rindsberg <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: shell joke
 
 
>Aydin Orstan makes an excellent point about collecting gear resembling drug
>paraphernalia.
>
>One night, I was driving on the interstate highway while struggling to
>close a jacket zipper. The zipper was uncooperative, and I wove the truck a
>bit. Then I noticed that a car was tailgating me (American slang for
>"following very closely"). Irritated, I slowed down, hoping that the
>tailgater would use the unoccupied left lane to pass me. Instead, he slowed
>down to match my speed. I slowed down some more, with the same result. When
>I slowed down even more, the tailgater burst into flashing blue light. It
>was a police car, and the two policemen inside were suspicious that my
>driving habits indicated that I was on drugs. They were even more
>suspicious when they saw packages of plastic bags, which drug dealers
>commonly use for their wares. The fact that some of the bags contained
>fossils did not impress them at first, but after I pointed out the geologic
>hammer, the coffee mug emblazoned "Geological Society of Alabama, 25th
>Anniversary", and my identification card as an employee of the Geological
>Survey of Alabama, they let me go without further delay.
>
>What we have to go through to collect shells in a crazy world!
>
>Andrew K. Rindsberg
>Geological Survey of Alabama
>Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
>